Going Green with Spiders in Your Home: Spider Plants, Of Course

Posted by lindseyshoe

Not creepy, not hairy, not poisonous and not even eight-legged, the spider plant is a wonderful kind of spider to invite to live in your home. Chlorophytum comosum, commonly known as the spider plant, is a great choice for greening your home.

Spider plants are attractive with the variegated green, cream and white colors and layers and layers of long, slender leaves that seem to be elegantly messy like a great hair style that looks like it took no effort at all. Spider plants will sprout off shoots that will grow to up to 2 feet long and dangle adding even more character to interesting plants.
In addition to being attractive flowing down from tall furniture, hanging baskets or window seals, spider plants are low maintenance plants as well. They don’t need to be watered often and are very forgiving if you forget to water them at all for a while. In fact, be sure that they are planted in a free-draining pot because while spider plants will tolerate generous watering they don’t like water puddled around their root system.
If you have a friend or neighbor that has a spider plant, you can easily adopt a spider baby and raise your own spider plant. To propagate a baby plant, simply snip off and either plant it immediately or place in a glass with water to grow roots. Either way usually works just fine.
There is lots of talk about air filters today, and while they are often needed and a good investment, remember that plants are the original air filter. Plants efficiently remove pollutants from the air. Spider plants in particular have been reported to remove 96% of carbon monoxide and 99% of nitric oxide in only 24 hours. Spider plants, along with aloe and philodendron have been credited with being the most powerful pollutant filters. Keeping spider plants in your home, office, classroom or hobby room can help to clean the air and give off oxygen.
Spider plants can help you create a chain of giving green as well. Reuse mugs, teapots, baskets or watering cans and plant spider babies to create truly green gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers, family or co-workers. You’ll be giving oxygen providing, air filtering gift in a reused container that requires no travel to purchase and no gift wrap to deliver!
Since all plants are green, and we’re not really referring simply to color here but to eco-friendliness, what is so very green about the spider plant?
• Can be easily propagated
• Don’t require a lot of water
• Hearty and easy to care for
• Clean the air and remove pollutants
• Gives off oxygen
• Can create green gifts that require no gift wrap
If you want to clean the air in your home naturally and add a touch of green to your home to inspire you in your going green goals, the spider plant is easy going and attractive addition.